World of Darkness Lore: Midnight Circus

[@GrimDarkHalfOff]

I cannot tell you enough how much I have come back to this video when I can’t sleep or am desperate for creepy carnival vibes. It’s heaven and thank you so much for working on it Lazar, please never get discouraged - your stuff is brilliant.

[@screenname6829]

Hope your feeling well grim Love the videos

[@mrmackie-qp6lr]

Cool see you come back here too this guys. Videos are evergreen

[@teyanuputorti7927]

hey Grim dark big fan

[@gamerincognito6033]

It amuses me the disparity in the representation of the 'evils' of each splat. Werewolf: The circus is directly sponsored by the Defiler worm, and many fomori serve it Mummy: Apophis himself assists the circus as well Fae: Unsealie court in the circus itself Mages: Multiple nephandi and delusional technocrats Wraiths: Evil Ferris Wheel Vampires: like, uh, a couple of evil toreadors? A mix splat party comes to take this down. The werewolf and mummy lose their shit, the fae and mage have their game face on, the wraith dies more or less instantly, and the vampire doesn't see what all the fuss is about.

[@jacthing1]

Lol. Poor wraith

[@shadowcatX2000]

The Midnight Circus always had a special place in my heart. I loved the Mage who ran the gambling and would give people most of their losses back in exchange for their soul. It also kind of reminds me of the early Shadowrun adventure where the players meet Har'lea'quinn casually doing magic for children that even ancient dragons can't match. This could also work well in Chronicles of Darkness, perhaps even better than in WoD.

[@Tencelas]

Evil Akashics always just beyblading into their friends while everyone’s trying to spin to enlightenment

[@zarlsalamandersspacemarine302]

Fell asleep to this last night. Now im going back to listen while i work on a d&d campaign

[@Veridiansolar]

May the Emperor keep you brother!

[@lordofthewasps8583]

Hell yes, the king came through with yet ANOTHER banger

[@LezCharming]

Your best work yet,love it!

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Thanks again!

[@Ahrimane]

I was a big fan of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes and this book reminded me of it so I got it.

[@Tencelas]

Yes!!! Requested this a while ago and I'm thrilled to see a video on it. Happy to see you back!

[@WildWolfGod]

New Lazar is a highlight of my week. Fantastic!

[@RyanTheScar]

Finally enough quintessence was gathered! And what a sight to behold it is.

[@DRWHOGOTSTABBED]

Don't think I'll get a better treat this Halloween than a 90 minute Lazar lore video. Thank the maker!

[@robertphillips213]

Cain?

[@JillRobertsIsmyGF]

Caine?

[@MegaReacts]

I have used the Midnight Circus in many games. Great setting and addition to any game.

[@zacharyhawley1693]

One of my favorite places. That can happen in any of the games in the world of darkness. ❤❤

[@lewisdavis780]

Omg thank you this is a gem that no one talks about and I have wanted to run a game of this or even have it mentioned in my games I have read this book over and over again but couldn't get it so thank you ❤❤❤❤

[@UpperNileGuy]

Best wod lore KZbinr. Love you man

[@MrDarthtelos]

Glad to see you’re still alive homie.

[@GehennaGhoul]

Alright, I am starting a wild west game. I have a bunch of newbies in the group. I have done nothing but brush up on my lore. I thank you for making these just for the love of the game. I appreciate the literal hours you put into these.

[@arietta.c]

WoD really said "we can have a silent hill too except ours travels"

[@40KWill]

Classic WoD where they made great things like the carnivals or wrestling

[@Bane422]

Yup. They said that, a decade before SH was released.

[@Mischief_Manager93]

I was working on a tzimisce character who was the ringmaster of a traveling carnival/freak show, now I know what group to allign him with. EDIT: I have decided to make a couple tweaks to this character, he is now a Malkavian and he is a clown with a knife juggling/throwing act.

[@MrGRuby]

Its been so long! Blessed be for the new video!

[@teyanuputorti7927]

This is a wonderful explanation of the Midnight Circus of the World of Darkness thank you Lazar of Stygia

[@Fintago]

I think this might be your best video yet!

[@s.m.g.2166]

Absolutely fantastic content dude. You make the most concise and best narrated world of darkness videos out there. Extremely underrated channel dude. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@VarangianGuard13]

@Lazar of Stygia thank you for such an entertaining Halloween treat, it's definitely made my shift a lot more fun. Happy Halloween to you, and to everyone. Stay safe and have fun, all.

[@ΜαρίνοςΛούρος]

Excellent work!

[@origen6758]

He’s back

[@mrmackie-qp6lr]

It,s been rough out there hope your doing well

[@gigatwin5298]

I've been listening to a podcast called "Rage Across the Internet" since the beginning of this year, and one of their guests has been talking about this "midnight circus" for some time now and I've had no context or idea as to what it was, I've been thinking he'd made it up so thank you for this video as I now know this is indeed real

[@squirrel_killer-]

I think the real genius part about this is the fact that with a little bit of tweaking and know how you could probably rework this to the more crossover friendly Chronicles of Darkness. The exact nature of a few characters would need to be reworked, there would need to be some shuffling of who people are associated with as well as their back stories, but the parts that are revealed too the players really don't need to change that much. The hardest one to reshuffle is probably the section related to the changelings.

[@thomasmuennich2680]

Love your work

[@fastgav]

What a great run down, it's a shame that demon didn't get to really have a roll in this cross over. I love your rendition of this telling of the Circus and how it works. I would love to give it a go as it reminds me a little of the book Johannes Cabal the necromancer.

[@TheKagar]

Thank you for Upload :)

[@thecounselingcouch68]

In our Mage: The Ascension game, the ST had us enter the Midnight Circus. It was wild. I would love to see some a story with werewolves encountering the Midnight Circus.

[@InflamedCorgi]

It means they could meet the last Croatan

[@ConspiracyOpossum]

This is a great setting

[@TheAlterspark]

Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in!

[@MephiticMiasma]

Cara... carnal... carnival

[@skeletonking4119]

Holden! I heard about it!! Yes! A dear friend of mine give me the pdf 2 years ago and I found it interesting! Especially for sabbat too! Thank you Lazer. Honesty we had hard time after seen bloodlines 2 news developments, which exactly what the people DONT want. Rather what the developers “think” the players want. Thank you so much..

[@relemblade]

I loved this when it came out. I'm converting it to a Dnd setting

[@pariswashington5543]

I would like details when your done

[@Sytheduke]

There’s a traveling circus in Ravenloft that’s actually a domain of Dread (basically a mini dimension that’s entirely horror themed), and travels between other domains of Dread.

[@ProHero86]

New Lazar video 💥💥💥

[@Bane422]

I listen to this at least twice weekly.

[@SirBabalon]

Currently working out a way of featuring this in my V5 game, and even now, there are so many possibilities to run with. Aside from converting certain stats for 5th edition splats that don't exist yet, it's so easy to include.

[@thenosferatu201]

same here, I'm running werewolf , vamp 5e road trip style game and want them to bump into the circus on the way.

[@carldanescd]

Thank you.

[@burningbronze7555]

Ah this is what I want

[@richards5855]

Is there anything that goes into how one might mend the midnight circus? Or restore it to its original purpose? I kind of want to run something in that vein

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Avoid being ensnared by the Carnival, break the power of the Carnival's traffic in souls, get Carna a new White Tree, free the Gurahl, assassinate the Infernal Trinity.

[@kokocampiglio7240]

Please do a Top 10 Traditions and Conventions (if possible). Also, Orpheus. ^_^

[@MegaKing10001]

Reminds me of the scp hermen fuller circus of the disquieting.

[@danny_decheeto8300]

n o i c e

[@snakeyman5560]

Is there any further info on the staked Tremere Mordlund and the ruler of the two worlds?

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Unfortunately not. He killed the previous holder of the title and tried to take over the Circus before the current Infernal Trinity packed him inside of a mirror.

[@snakeyman5560]

@@lazarofstygia2241 Damn he doesn't even have a wiki page that I can find.

[@GidragAnton]

Glad this is a thing. We need more multi-game settings and scenarios like this. No more of that Samuel Haight BS.

[@JaidenGott]

Hey I'm working on my first hunter chronicle And was wondering If a hunter were too Come in contact with a nephandi Would the messengers touch Stop him from falling to the wurm

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Interesting question. Hunters can be corrupted, they are less susceptible to it though.

[@cb2291]

I love this

[@Atmatan]

Thank God KZbin knows me... I forgot to resub to you after changing to my new account 😮

[@Booothismanhow]

Based

[@charlesjameskelly7689]

Love your stuff

[@yetipotato8567]

It has the silliest ghost, vampire and werewoof clowns?

[@bigblue344]

It seems very easy to lose your character here if everyone isn't on their A game.

[@BenCDBrown]

Man WoD, why you gotta do Paul Reubens like that?

[@jordanetherington1922]

This book was way better then it had any right to be!

[@otakunemesis34]

Will you ever repost the solar exalted?

[@jonathanredacted3245]

So apophis isn't the wyrm then? Funny, it seems like it would be a shoe in.

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Apophis may not even be Apophis if the Followers of Set are to be believed.

[@CBPATRIOT]

I just stumbled on this video and I'm not familiar with this channel so I'm a bit confused. Is this supposed to be like actual urban legends of occult stuff to do with circuses? Or just a fun story?

[@kal-el702]

it's a ttrpg lore from world of darkness

[@thenoddistsdisciple]

This is lore for a tabletop RPG series, World of Darkness. The most popular one you might've heard of in this series is Vampire: The Masquerade, and a lot of that specific TTRPG's lore is referenced here. If you like a lot of macabre storytelling and lore, you've found your home!

[@BirdOfHermes2113]

watching at midnight. causing chaos.

[@Nobody32990]

Out of curiousity, what happened to your microphone? Audio quality in older videos was noticeably better

[@williamharper6625]

Is the Wyrm and Apothis the same entity?

[@lazarofstygia2241]

In 2nd edition, yes. In Revised, no.

[@gnumann64]

Great video and interesting topic, but you need a better mic.

[@Captain1nsaneo]

'Koba'... I mean, there's subtext and then there's neon lights.

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Я не понимаю, что вы имеете в виду, товарищ.

[@Captain1nsaneo]

@@lazarofstygia2241 On the off chance that you're asking rather than meming. ( :) ) Koba was Stalin's preferred nickname for himself (which is ironic in that 'Stalin' was already not his real name).

[@johnpauldejesus771]

wow

[@Bane422]

👊

[@Hollowbarista]

What's up with the Carpathian mountains? I feel like I've heard it not only being mentioned but emphasised countless times by you and other WoD vampire lite youtubers. Have I watched this a same video more numerous a times than I can phathom or are those mountains magnets of stepping stone of all vampire events? Sheez! I blame the paradox! This is Quiet!

[@tim8181]

The demon Kupala is bound beneath the Capathian Mountains and Transylvania is a major Tzimisce stronghold, hat's why there is so much stuff happening there

[@DarkVeghetta]

I would imagine it's the link to the primordial vampiric tale - Bram Stoker's Dracula, without which most of modern-day vampire mythology wouldn't exist, as that book not only popularized vampires to a western audience, it also innovated and changed many aspects of pre-existing lore. As such, the Carpathian mountains can be seen as the cradle of vampire mythology and, as such, tend to heavily feature in many of the works that involve such creatures. Think of it as an homage to the beginnings of the genre.

[@gs4011]

Two words: Fu**ing. Tzimisce.

[@devatess8669]

🖤🔥

[@skel6180]

Four bucks for moral corruption? Sign me and the rest of America up!!!

[@LunarShallow]

Sorry but I have to do this each year I did it when I was 6!

[@byvisualdesign]

I hate clowns

[@gamrr_NERD]

This would be a good SCP.

[@thenoddistsdisciple]

Love the video, but as an artist I gotta criticize the use of AI art here. Please, don't.

[@lazarofstygia2241]

I am open to alternatives that are fiscally reasonable.

[@raipe125]

ia is very fitting to evis of wod

[@ShizaruBloodrayne]

Wait......is this a story or is this just a metaphor about the reality of living in capitalist America...?? Because I can't tell and it's messing with my emotions. I'm finding parallels in my own life.

[@raipe125]

did you ever heard of " the american scream" of shade the changing man ???

[@jarreldoomis3502]

Holy shit get a new mic please

[@Coffeemancer]

a She????????????????????????????????????????????????

[@arietta.c]

the sidhe, basically the ventrue if they were fairies

[@kierwen]

Sidhe. Noble fae folk. Pronounced she.

[@shawnwilt7196]

I have played in two games in this setting. Both ended badly.... one was nightmareishly bad.